. >> reporter: just this week, the navy tested its next generation drone, which could carry bombs and lands on an aircraft carrier with hardly any human control. the directive only applies to lethal systems. it still allows the military to develop autonomous spy planes. >> as we begin to approach the possibility of having machines select and engage targets, we want to be very careful not to cross that line without high-level policy review. >> reporter: human rights watcher applauds the pentagon's move. >> we don't believe it solves the problem, however. >> reporter: so the group is calling for governments to ban autonomous weapons outright. bonnie points to syria and wonders what killer robots could do in a conflict like that. >> because the weapons are emotionless, they could serve as a perfect tool for a dictator who would not have to worry about the danger of a human soldier turning on him if ordered to fire on his own civilians. a robot would not do that. >> reporter: when you're talking about a weapon that doesn't have the capacity to feel any compassion for its victims, it opens